Online first aid courses

Australia applies the model Work Health and Safety framework (WHS Act 2011 and WHS Regulations 2011, reg. 42) with the Safe Work Australia Code of Practice 'First aid in the workplace', which recommends at least 1 first-aider per 50 workers in low-risk settings and 1 per 25 in high-risk settings, maintained across all shifts and sites. Required training is the national 'Provide First Aid' Statement of Attainment (HLTAID011, embedding the HLTAID009 CPR unit), with blended delivery allowed.

Australian childcare licensing under the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 (Regulation 136, National Quality Framework) requires the HLTAID012 'Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting' qualification, covering first aid, anaphylaxis and emergency asthma management. The certification renews every 3 years with the CPR component (HLTAID009) renewed annually, and online courses are accepted.

Australia has no single federal Good Samaritan statute; protection comes from each state and territory's civil liability legislation (e.g. Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), Part 8; Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic), s 31B), which grants civil immunity to anyone assisting in good faith during an emergency without gross recklessness. There is no general common-law duty to rescue, except in the Northern Territory under s 155 of the Criminal Code Act 1983 (NT).

In Australia, registered nurses and midwives are accountable to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) under AHPRA for keeping their skills current, and CPR/basic life support recertification is a recognised way to demonstrate and document that capability. CPD is mandatory: a minimum of 20 hours per registration year relevant to practice, self-declared at annual renewal by 31 May.

Australian residential aged-care, supported-living and in-home aged-care services operate under the Aged Care Act and Aged Care Quality Standards, and employers require care staff to hold the nationally recognised HLTAID011 Provide First Aid (including CPR) as a current standalone certificate, completed within the Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) before placement. Staff should be able to act with adults and use an AED, and the certificate must be renewed periodically.

Foster and kinship carers in Australia are assessed and approved by accredited agencies and state child-protection departments under the National Standards for Out-of-Home Care, and most agencies require a current first-aid and CPR certificate — commonly the HLTAID012 child-care first-aid qualification (which builds on HLTAID011). Certification is generally current for three years with the CPR component refreshed every twelve months per Australian Resuscitation Council guidance, alongside the carer assessment and Working with Children Check.

Online CPR and first aid training is recognized in Australia for personal, childcare and employer purposes, with 3-year certification. The national HLTAID011 'Provide First Aid' Statement of Attainment may be completed via blended delivery — online theory is accepted but the practical skills assessment (CPR, AED) must be conducted in person with an accredited trainer, with a CPR refresher recommended annually.